Stage 2 swimming, being able to climb out pool

[Lopoem]

Not really an AIBU but posted here for traffic. My oldest DD (just turned 6) is doing Stage 2 swimming lessons. She has been doing this stage for about a month. Really happy with how she has progressed since moving to this level, her knew teacher is great. The problem is my daughter has mild hypermobility and hypotonia (didn't walk till she was over 2). Most the time you wouldn't know now, but her little sister (3 and a half) can out climb her. The sides at the pool she goes to are particularly high. I noticed one of the things she has been assessed on so far is being able to climb out unassisted, it has been recorded as 'needs practice'. Unfortunately I think this is an understatement and think it will be years before she can climb out unaided at this pool (unless using the steps). I am worried this will hold her back. She is really holding her own in this class despite being the newest. Does anyone have experience with this? I would try and speak to her teacher, but she has lessons before and after so I would be holding up a whole class starting their lesson.

Why not ask the instructor to ring you during the week to discuss?

Just email/ring the pool and explain. Don't waste time worrying about this, they're not going to make her do something she can't do!

Can you find an email address for the teacher or for the provider of the swim lessons and ask via email? I agree it's not the correct time nor place at poolside but via email you could supply some medical proof as well as it may be counted as a reasonable adjustment.

I can never understand this requirement - it actually takes quite a lot of upper body strength to be able to climb out of the pool without using the steps.

I also think some of the requirements are a little unfair for times - boys are stronger than girls, so why are the times required for things like the Gold and Honours awards the same? What I mean by that is eg having to swim 400m within x minutes.

Some more practice and regular swimming will help strengthen her shoulders and upper chest/back muscles to be most likely to be able to do it with a bit of a bounce - it's mostly technique but does involve a bit of power and strength to get over the balancing point.

Swimming as whole is brilliant for increasing muscle tone to the maximum capability safely - I'm also hypermobile (have EDS) and the pools being closed/very restricted since reopening has meant my joints have been far more lax - using weights just meant my shoulder popped out when sitting on the sofa one evening and is taking a very long time to go back to normal function (note: avoid Goblet squats at all costs in the future).

One of the best things I did for improvement pre Covid was working to be able to do lengths (initially widths, but you can't do those anymore in pools with designated lane swimming) purely with my arms. As soon as I was able to do that easily, I had enough strength and tone to be able to bounce up again; and I'm a lot heavier than the average child.

If the instructor doesn't know of her diagnosis, I think they need to, though, as they would be able to adapt and encourage things that could help her improve.

I doubt it would hold her back if it is the only thing she can't do- worth a call to the swimming coordinator to clarify if you're concerned

Later on, climbing out of the pool is a requirement for various distance awards. So I'm guessing that's why they introduce it early as a skill.

I have no idea what flexibility there is for kids that have a good reason why they can't manage it. But I agree it would be worth discussing properly with the instructor, in case there's a simple workaround.

@juergenschwarzwald boys are not stronger than girls at such a young age! Stage 2 kids are usually age 5/6 as the OP says. This is about making provision for a disability which is different.

My twins have hypermobility and struggled with this OP. In the end they let them do it from a step. Def worth asking,

You could give your DD a note to hand to the teacher. It doesn't need to be long:
'Please note DD has xxxx which means yyyy. If you would like to discuss in the week I can be contacted on nnnnnn.'

Speak to the instructor. My DS was in stage 2 at 3 1/2 and he was just too short to get out, he still passed!

I got something added to my daughter's swimming registration form under the "medical notes". In her case, she really struggled with breaststroke, because her hips are extremely hypermobile and so when she put her legs out to the side they went too far. I read up a bit, and apparently some hypermobile children can't do breaststroke at all.

When her end of term report had ticks by everything except breaststroke, I reminded them that if they were waiting for that to be better before moving her up, then she might be in that class indefinitely. She stopped lessons fairly soon after that, but had she continued, I might have pushed for her to be allowed to do extra lengths of another stroke when others were doing breaststroke.

It's quite reasonable that they note that this is something she can't do, but hopefully they can also make a reasonable adjustment so that she is not held back by it.

I am hypermobile. I usually have to climb the pool a bit at a time by toe walking up the wall to be able to pull myself out on my elbows. It’s the most ungraceful thing ever and I look like a beached whale when I manage it but you should def encourage her to do whatever works. If possible take her swimming there and help her practice.

My own dc were still ticking off climb out when they were in stage 3 (and poss stage 4), so she has a couple of stages left before this would prevent her moving forward.

[quote rattlemehearties]@juergenschwarzwald boys are not stronger than girls at such a young age! Stage 2 kids are usually age 5/6 as the OP says. This is about making provision for a disability which is different.[/quote]
I was thinking the same. The strength disparity only comes in at puberty when the testosterone starts doing its work.

I went onto the Swim England site and after a bit of searching, found this here

Learners with a SEND will be able to make progress through the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme using the same core Awards scheme for pre-school, children, and adults but may be exempt from some skills where he or she is physically unable to ever achieve them.

For my daughter’s school steps would be fine for stage 2 and the climbing out is stage 3. Tbh I think stage 3 and getting the 10m requires a fair bit of strength and coordination so you might find it comes naturally anyway as she gets better. I see with my 5yo she can do it better at the start of a lesson and seems to just spring out but by the end when she’s tired it is much harder.

Thanks all. I think I will email to inform them of her issue. Would like to make sure the instructor is aware also so like the idea of a note

@NeverDropYourMooncup That is really useful information thank you. Totally agree with you swimming is great for her which is one of the reasons I don't want her being held back by something that isn't achievable for her at the moment.

@Clareyck It is good to hear that they bypassed this for your twins.

@RestingPandaFace Wow! They won't even take children in Stage 1 at my daughter's till they turn 4. My daughter is joint youngest in her Stage 2 class. It's frustrating as my youngest (3 1/2) can swim without aids and is definitely ready to start.

@lanthanum That is interesting. Breast stroke is actually my daughter's strongest stroke. I put it down to all the time she spent bottom shuffling being a similar leg action 🙂. Just goes to show how it effects people differently.

@Ozanj Well done you for making the effort though. My only excuse for not being to get out is being overweight (something I am working on). I just use the steps. I did get her to practice in the shallow end when we were last there (the part of the pool she swims in is deeper). She wasn't even close to being able to get out there.

@Bunnycat101 My daughter actually has her 10m. Her swimming itself doesn't seem to be impacted. But climbing out is, not helped by the really high sides at the pool she swims at.